Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc

Coordinates: 49°35′38.19″N 17°15′1.53″E / 49.5939417°N 17.2504250°E / 49.5939417; 17.2504250
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Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc
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Holy Trinity Column
Sloup Nejsvětější Trojice
"To the glory of God the Almighty, the Virgin Mary and the saints I will build a column that in its height and splendour will be unrivalled in any other town." From Wenzel Render's letter to the Olomouc City Council.
Map
49°35′38.19″N 17°15′1.53″E / 49.5939417°N 17.2504250°E / 49.5939417; 17.2504250
LocationOlomouc, Czech Republic
Beginning date1716
Completion date1754
Europe and North America

The Holy Trinity Column (Czech: Sloup Nejsvětější Trojice) in Olomouc, in the Czech Republic is a Baroque monument (Trinity column) that was built between 1716 and 1754. The main purpose was to celebrate the Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia (now in the Czech Republic) between 1713 and 1715.[1]: 18  The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way.[1]: 26 

It is the biggest

World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of central European Baroque artistic expression".[2]

History

Historical picture of the Holy Trinity Column on Olomouc Upper Square

According to the

Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, from 1614.[3]

This monument for

Assumption of the Virgin,[1]: 35–39  was somewhat luckier and managed to finish his brilliant work. However he lost his health when working on the sculptures and using toxic mercury compounds during the gilding
process.

Gilded replica of a stone shot reminds that the column was hit from Prussian cannons several times during the siege of Olomouc in 1758.

After the Holy Trinity Column was finished in 1754, it became a source of great pride for Olomouc, since all people participating in its creation were citizens of the town. The column was consecrated in a great celebration attended by Empress

Maria Theresa and her husband Francis I.[1]
: 28 

Only four years

General James Keith complied with their wishes.[1]: 21  The column was repaired soon after the war and a replica of a stone shot was half-buried in its stem on the place where it was hit to remind people of this event.[1]
: 22 

Description

Gilded statue of the Holy Trinity atop the column

The column is dominated by

Assumption of the Virgin
beneath it.

The base of the column, in three levels, is surrounded by 18 more stone sculptures of saints and 14 reliefs in elaborate

Three theological virtues
Faith, Hope, and Love.

Below them, the second stage is dedicated to

St. Adalbert of Prague (Czech Vojtěch) and St. John of Nepomuk (Czech
Jan Nepomucký), whose following was very strong there as well.

In the lowest stage one can see the figures of an

its university
.

Reliefs of all

twelve apostles
are placed among these sculptures.

John Sarkander

Statue of Saint John Sarkander on the Holy Trinity Column

The last missing in this list of saints is

seal of confession. The decision to place him here violated the tradition, since Sarkander had not been canonized and not even beatified in that time yet, which could have resulted in problems with the Holy See. However, his following was so strong here that the craftsmen decided to take the risk. Sarkander was beatified in 1859 and canonized in 1995 on the occasion of the visit of Pope John Paul II
in Olomouc.

Inner chapel

Relief depicting the Crucifixion

The column also houses a small chapel inside with reliefs depicting Cain's offering from his crop, Abel's offering of firstlings of his flock, Noah's first burnt offering after the Flood, Abraham's offering of Isaac and of a lamb, and Jesus' death. The cities of Jerusalem and Olomouc can be seen in the background of the last mentioned relief.

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-80-87149-14-0
    .
  2. ^ "Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc". UNESCO World Heritage centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Olomouc (Czech Republic)" (PDF). Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  4. ISBN 978-80-244-2370-8
    .

Bibliography

Books in Czech:

External links

Media related to Holy Trinity column in Olomouc at Wikimedia Commons

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